


I've Got Your Back

by JinxedAmbitions



Series: AK One Shots [3]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: High School, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-05 23:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14629656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JinxedAmbitions/pseuds/JinxedAmbitions
Summary: When Adrian doesn't show up for their usual lunch time ritual behind the bleachers, Deran finds him brawling in the lunch room. Adrian isn't one to get into fights, but Deran doesn't think twice before joining in.  The circumstances don't matter.  He's got Adrian's back.





	I've Got Your Back

**Author's Note:**

> Another story about Deran and Adrian in their teens. The next one will be closer to their current ages.

Deran sat in their usual spot, rolling a joint as he waited.  It wasn’t like Adrian to stand him up. It was his lunch period after all, so he usually just came and ate his lunch and smoked with Deran while Deran skipped study hall.

Unlike Deran, Adrian made an effort to show up to his classes, even the pointless ones.  At least, he did when he wasn’t competing. He also kept up with all of his work whether he missed a day, a class, or weeks.  Deran was lucky if he remembered which classes he was taking.

Deran lit the joint when Adrian didn’t show after five minutes.  He wasn’t going to waste time just because Adrian wasn’t going to show.  He was probably doing his homework in the library or something equally stupid.  Adrian had been stressed out about some physics project he’d been working on for weeks, so maybe he’d stayed to work on that.

—Where the fuck are you asshole?— Deran sent the text as he leaned against the brick wall he always smoked against.

“Dick,” Deran mumbled when he received no reply.  They had a bit of a rough patch lately, and while Deran had thought they’d ironed things out, he couldn’t help the voice at the back of his mind telling him maybe things weren’t fixed.

Instead of finishing the joint by himself.  He stubbed it out and stashed it before heading back into the building.  He wasn’t going back to class because Adrian didn’t show up. He was doing it because he was bored, and at least in class he could dick around with a few of his friends.  He certainly wasn’t going to go looking for Adrian. That would just be pathetic.

The halls were surprisingly vacant for a lunch period, but Deran was just high enough not to pay it much attention.  He stepped into the bathroom near the cafeteria to splash water on his face and wash out his mouth.

“Fight!” Someone yelled out in the hall.

Deran jerked up, watching as the two guys in the bathroom with him tucked themselves back in and sprinted out of the room.  Deran dried his hands and contemplated going to watch versus going to class for the first time that week.

“Holy shit, Adrian fuckin’ threw Casey over a table,” someone else shouted from the hall.

Deran was moving before his brain even truly processed what he’d just heard.  The crowds gathering in the cafeteria, instinctively moved out of Deran’s way as he shoved out of the bathroom and toward the center of the action.  He hardly registered the wide-eyed looks his classmates gave him as he ran toward the fight.

Deran cut in front of one of the biology teachers who was running toward the fight as well.  However, students crowded in, making it harder for the teachers to get through the masses.

“Deran, don’t—” his former teacher shouted, but Deran was already on top of one of the cafeteria tables and diving off of it at one of the guys who was slamming Adrian’s head against another table.

Deran saw red as he launched himself through the air.  Removing that kid from Adrian was all that went through his mind.  His body knew he’d do it violently as he’d been taught, but it wasn’t a conscious decision, just an instinct.  No one was allowed to touch Adrian.

It wasn’t even a fair fight.  There were three football players ganging up on Adrian, who under normal circumstances was completely capable of handling himself.  Under normal circumstances, he also wasn’t one to get into fights.

Deran brought the kid, who still had a grip on Adrian, down with a collar around his neck.  He didn’t wait for the guy to realize what was happening before he started to pummel his ribs and face with punches.

After years of growing up with older brothers, Deran knew how to fight fast and hard.  Pope didn’t let him get too many hits in, so he had to make the ones he did land count.  He also knew how to shrug off even some of the hardest hits.

The students who were crowded around to watch shouted their encouragement.  There was no clear favorite. They just seemed excited to see a fight breaking out.  While fighting wasn’t uncommon for Deran, fights certainly didn’t break out in the middle of the cafeteria very often.

One of the other guys pulled Deran off their friend, but Deran came up swinging.  He managed to shove the second guy into another table before delivering a swift kick to his ribs.  

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Adrian landing a hit of his own as another guy joined the fight.  Adrian was bleeding from his nose and temple, but he wasn’t slowing down. He kept the side of his face that was swelling up and blinding him toward Deran, clearly knowing Deran wouldn’t let anyone blindside him.  

Students and teachers were still gathering, but no one seemed willing to break it up.  Maybe that wasn’t exactly correct because several teachers and administrators were trying to get to them, but the crowd of students kept them back.

Deran took a hit to the jaw, and it snapped his head to the side, but he didn’t let it slow him down.  He ducked low and speared the guy to the ground with a roar. The guy put up his hands to defend himself, but his friend pulled Deran off him before Deran could even punch him.  Adrian wrapped his arm around Deran’s attacker’s neck and flexed his arm until the guy let go of Deran.

At that moment, several members of the security team rushed in and pulled everyone apart.  Deran cursed at them as Adrian was jerked around violently despite having the worst injuries of the group.

All six of them were marched down to the Vice Principal’s office.  Casey and his friends were spewing bullshit about Adrian starting the whole thing.  Adrian was quiet as he walked beside Deran, their shoulders brushing.

Adrian’s left eye was almost completely swollen shut by the time they were told to sit down in the Vice Principal’s office, and Deran was tempted to take another shot at Casey for it.  

“You will sit silently until the Mr. Adams sees you,” Mr. Adams’ secretary told them, shaking her head as she took in the state of them.

Deran wished he was still around back, getting high instead of dealing with this bullshit.  He knew exactly what was coming. Mr. Adams would tell him how disappointed he was. Then he’d talk about colleges not wanting students who get into brawls.  Then he’d suspend Deran for a few days, and Deran would go surfing. He wished he could just skip to the surfing part. It wasn’t like he planned to go to college.

“Casey, Ben, Eric, and Jordan, please come in,” the Vice Principal said, stepping out of his office to usher the boys in.  

Deran rolled his eyes at Adrian.  Of course, Mr. Adams would hear their side of the story first.  The football team wasn’t even any good. Between Deran and Adrian, they had more trophies and medals from surfing than the school’s entire trophy case had on display.  The case might have had more if Deran wasn’t thrown off the school surf team for poor attendance.

“You should’ve come smoke with me,” Deran whispered when Mr. Adams door closed.

“I was on my way.”

“Taking your fucking time…”

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the ringing in my ears from getting my skull slapped against the table,” Adrian shot back.

“Don’t be a bitch about it.  Casey hits like a toddler.”

“The table however…”

“Boys!” the secretary snapped, glaring at the two of them.

“Adrian has a concussion, and you’re denying him medical attention. That would probably look pretty bad if that got out, wouldn’t it?  Especially since we all know he wasn’t the one that started the fight, so it might look doubly bad that Casey and his friends got seen first while Adrian sits here bleeding from the head...Say cheese, man,” Deran said, pulling out his phone and snapping a shot of Adrian slumped in the uncomfortable office chair, then a picture of Ms. Williams, the secretary.

Ms. Williams looked completely unimpressed by Deran’s little speech, frowning at them like they were an unwelcome annoyance.

“Adrian, you still have the number of that reporter from ESPN?  Oh wait, here it is,” Deran said, fiddling with his phone.

Ms. Williams’ face blanched as Deran made a show of attaching a couple pictures to a message.  It had been big news for a couple days when Adrian and Deran made it onto ESPN. Adrian had been a hell of a lot more graceful about it, but their friends hadn’t cared. They’d just been stoked to be able to say their friends had been on TV.

“You can’t use your phone in here,” she told him.

“Can’t deny students necessary medical attention either,” Deran shot back.  He didn’t actually have anyone’s number, but he’d learned to put on a show from the best.  Smurf was nothing if not a great actress and able to weave a lie out of thin air. Poor Ms. Williams didn’t stand a chance against a Cody.

Adrian sat beside him quietly, letting Deran be an ass.  It was how things usually went. The fact that they were in here for Adrian getting into a fight instead of Deran starting a fight was the only unusual part about this. Deran had landed them in here plenty of times for all sorts of reckless stunts.

“Mr. Cody, what exactly do you want?” Ms. Williams asked, giving up on whatever task she’d been trying to complete before they’d ruined her peace.

Deran didn’t even know what he wanted.  He just didn’t want to sit here in silence while Adrian looked a shade too pale for comfort.  Deran looked at Adrian like he was going to suddenly start spouting off demands like they were in some sort of hostage situation, and Ms. Williams was negotiating with them.

“Could I have an aspirin?” Adrian asked quietly.  “And some tissues?”

Ms. Williams smiled pleasantly at Adrian before picking up the phone on her desk and calling the nurse.  “You could’ve just asked, Sweetheart,” she told Adrian, pushing a box of tissues across her desk.

Deran got up and grabbed them for Adrian, so he didn’t have to get up.  Ms. Williams didn’t smile at him. That wasn’t shocking. Adrian was well liked by just about everyone.  Deran may have had a lot of friends, but being a Cody came with certain realities. Staff didn’t like him, and most people had a certain level of fear when they found out who he was.

Plucking several tissues out of the box and pressed them to Adrian’s temple while Adrian handled his bloody nose.  “Perhaps you should wait for the nurse. You shouldn’t be touching his blood,” Ms. Williams said, cringing as Deran didn’t even blink as Adrian’s blood got all over his hands.

Deran actually laughed because they’d been covered in each other’s blood more times than he could count.  What were a few bloodborne pathogens between best friends?

Within two minutes, the nurse was sitting in the seat Deran vacated and going through concussion protocol with Adrian.  She grumbled at Deran about handling Adrian’s blood, but she was more concerned with Adrian’s lack of color.

By the time that Mr. Adams let Casey and his friends out of his office and called them in, Adrian’s face was somewhat clean, and he had taken several Ibuprofen for his headache.  Deran, however, was pacing like a caged animal.

“Come in, Adrian...Deran,” Mr. Adams said, holding open his door.  Mr. Adams said his name with a sigh, no doubt, because Deran was no stranger to his office.

Deran waited for Adrian to walk past him then followed him a hair too closely.  He told himself that it was in case he stumbled.

“I’d like to hear your side of the story, Adrian,” Mr. Adams said when they sat down.  He seemed happy to completely ignore Deran, in favor of speaking to Adrian. It was probably for the best since Adrian was more level-headed...usually.

“I have nothing to say,” Adrian said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Deran’s mouth fell open as Adrian kept his mouth shut.  Deran expected him to tell the truth because Adrian was honest to a fault.  He never shied away from telling Deran exactly what he thought of his family and their “jobs.”  He never lied to gain favor or cheated because he’d forgotten to study.

Adrian faced life head on, and it had been the cause of several blow ups between he and Deran.  The most recent having resulted in nearly a week of radio silence between them, but they always forgave each other in the end.

“You have nothing to say?” Mr. Adams repeated, sounding completely bewildered by Adrian’s remark.  

“No.” Adrian said, maintaining his closed off position.

“Adrian...this isn’t cutting class to smoke a joint with Deran behind the bleachers.  You were part of a six man brawl in the cafeteria. Our school has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to violence.  Do yourself a favor, and give me your side of the story,” Mr. Adams cajolled.

Deran watched in surprise as Adrian tipped his chin up and held firm. “I was part of a six man brawl in the cafeteria.  That clear things up?”

Mr. Adams’ jaw ticked as he gripped the edge of his desk.

“Adrian, you’re a good kid.  You keep your nose clean, and I’m willing to overlook your usual lunch hour antics with Deran here, but this is a serious offense.  You’re eighteen. Casey and his friends could press charges.”

Adrian remained silent.

“Deran, do him a favor, and tell him it would be in his best interest to talk to me,” Mr. Adams turned to Deran.  The middle-aged man gave Deran a pleading look behind his thick glasses. Deran sometimes wondered if he’d gone prematurely gray from dealing with teenage antics for too many years.

Shrugging, Deran looked back at Adrian.  He didn’t say anything as he caught Adrian’s eye.  He made a nonverbal gesture of ‘are you going to say anything?’  Adrian just gave him a curt shake of his head. Deran ducked his head a little while maintaining eye contact with Adrian. It was usually what he did when he asked if Adrian was alright, and Adrian gave a small nod.

Deran turned back to the Vice Principal with another shrug.  “Just suspend us. Waves are aren’t going to surf themselves,” Deran told him.

 _“Deran…_ ”

“He’s not speaking, and I don’t have a fucking clue what started it, so punish us so we can be on our way,” Deran told him.  

“Boys, this is a serious matter…”

Deran zoned out as Mr. Adams read them the riot act.  His gaze was turned to Adrian who continued to sit with his arms folded.

Their last argument came back to him when Deran refused to tell Adrian what he’d been doing instead of meeting up with him.  Adrian had known immediately that Deran was protecting his family, but Deran had refused to admit it. Adrian had gone off on him about not trusting him or even bothering to let Adrian know that he was alright.

_“What happens when one of your little jobs goes wrong, and I never see you again?” Adrian demanded, tears glistening in his eyes._

_“I can’t tell you everything.  I just can’t. You’re not family!” Deran shot back, balling his hands into fists.  Adrian just didn’t understand; he never could._

_“I care more about you than she ever has!”_

_“It’s better you don’t know.  People can’t use what you don’t know against you.”_

_“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”_

“You’ll be suspended for one full week, both of you.  Do you understand?” Mr. Adams asked them after he’d gone through his entire speech from his disappointment to their bleak futures.  

Deran blinked exaggeratedly as he pulled himself back to the present.  He glanced over at Adrian who was looking at him instead of Mr. Adams.

They both nodded before rising.  They walked out of the office side by side.  Deran slung his arm around Adrian’s shoulders as they walked out of the building to Adrian’s beaten up car.  Deran didn’t even hesitate to reach into Adrian’s pocket and remove his keys. Deran slid into the driver’s seat since Adrian couldn’t see out of one of his eyes, and Adrian didn’t complain as he got in the passenger side.

“You going to tell me what that was all about?” Deran asked when they were seated in Adrian’s car.  He didn’t bother to start it right away, wanting to give Adrian his full attention.

“Just get us out of here,” Adrian told him, rubbing at the cut at his temple.

“If you touch it, it’s just going to start bleeding again,” Deran told him, turning the key in the ignition.  The engine sputtered, but didn’t start immediately. “Your car is a piece of shit,” Deran told him as he tried to start the engine again.  This time it started, but not without quite a bit of trouble.

“Not all of us can afford fancy cars,” Adrian told him, but he didn’t sound upset about it.  It was just a fact of life for him, and that was part of what made their relationship so strong.  Adrian didn’t compare himself to others. He was happy with himself whether he had money or not. Deran’s family had money, and he couldn’t pretend to be as happy with himself as Adrian.

They drove in silence to the beach.  Adrian always had several boards in the back of his car.  His whole life was surfing, and he usually hit the waves before and immediately after school.

When Deran pulled into their usual spot, he didn’t really expect Adrian to speak.  That seemed to be the theme today. Deran was over it. If he saw Casey out of school, he’d probably punch him just for putting his hands on Adrian.  He didn’t need any more reason than that.

“How did you find out about the fight?” Adrian asked, sitting and staring through the windshield.

“I was in the bathroom.  Someone shouted that you’d thrown Casey over a table...I came tearing into the lunch room ready to throw down,” Deran said, laughing at his instinct to run to Adrian’s side.  Smurf would hit him upside the head if she ever heard about it.

“How did that feel?”

“Like an adrenaline rush.  I wanted to tear them all apart,” Deran admitted.

Adrian nodded.  “Did you think for a second that I might be seriously hurt?”

“You are hurt…you mean, was I scared?”

Adrian nodded again.

“Yeah, I guess so.  You never get into fights.  You’re the level-headed one,” Deran said, turning in his seat to give Adrian his full attention.  “What are you getting at?”

“Every time...every time you don’t show up when you say you will.  Every time you don’t come to school despite having surfed with me that morning.  Every time you are working a job for you mother, I am terrified. Not just for a minute, but until you text, or call, or show up in the middle of the night.  I lose sleep and fail tests every time you don’t show up, but you don’t trust me…”

“Adrian...I just...I can’t tell you everything.  Smurf would kill me if she found out you knew this much.  She’d hurt you, and I can’t…”

“I don’t want to know everything.  I just want to know you’re okay. I just need you to be okay,” Adrian said, voice pleading as he grasped Deran’s thigh.

“Did you seriously get into a fight with three other guys to prove to me that you’re not a snitch, and I’m an asshole for making you worry?” Deran asked.  

This was the sort of thing Craig would pull to get his point across.  This was so against everything Adrian was, but it was a very Cody thing to do, and he knew that.  He was making Deran understand, in the only language Deran spoke.

“Did it work?” Adrian asked, biting his lip.

Deran laughed, shaking his head.

“Are you pissed at me?” Adrian asked instead.

“I’m pissed you bailed on our lunch-time joint.  I’m pissed that Casey rearranged your face. I’m pissed that you felt you needed to get your ass kicked to prove a point to me...but I’m not pissed at you,” Deran said, pulling Adrian to him and crushing their lips together.  

Adrian didn’t pull away, attacking Deran’s mouth just as eagerly.  He buried his fingers in Deran’s long hair and held him close.

“God, it was hot when you choked the kid who tried to attack me from behind,” Deran said against Adrian’s lips as they both tried to catch their breath.

“Shut up,” Adrian urged him, pressing in again for another heated kiss.

When Deran finally did pull back, he made sure he had Adrian’s complete attention.  “I’ve always got your back. I don’t care what it is. Even if you’re picking fights with the entire fucking football team to prove a point.  I’ve got your back,” Deran promised.

Adrian nodded, ducking in for another kiss.  “I’ve got yours too. You can trust me,” Adrian told him.

Deran understood. He was clearly willing to put himself on the line to prove Deran could trust him because Deran didn’t know how to trust anyone who wasn’t blood.  He wasn’t holding their argument against Deran anymore. He was just proving him wrong instead.

“You didn’t have to prove yourself with Mr. Adams.  I know you’re not a snitch,” Deran whispered, resting his forehead against Adrian’s, thankful for the relative seclusion of their favorite spot.  “But...thank you.”

Deran tried not to take Adrian’s friendship for granted, but sometimes it was so easy to forget that what he had with Adrian was special.  None of his brothers had friends like Adrian. Sure, Baz and Pope had each other, but it wasn’t the same. Adrian wasn’t part of the Cody clan, yet he stood by Deran.

“What was it you told Mr. Adams?  The waves aren’t going to surf themselves?” Adrian asked after a minute.  

“Shut up.”

“You sounded like such an idiot, and all of that bullshit with Ms. Williams. I half expected you to piss in the plant on her desk just because you were losing it. How do you hold it together when you're robbing banks? You wouldn't know smooth if it was sucking your dick,” Adrian teased him, pulling back with a grin on his bruised face.

“Fuck off, or I’ll leave you here and steal your car.”  Deran didn't mention that he was smooth when he needed to be.  He'd posed as any number of people for jobs, and he always did the talking when it was him and Craig since Craig was high half the time.  Seeing Adrian hurt, though.  That had made him a little unhinged.  

“Take it.  Not like it starts half the time,” Adrian shot back.

“I could steal you a better one,” Deran offered, only half joking.

“Sure, that wouldn’t fail spectacularly.  Would you visit me in prison?” Adrian asked, punching him in the arm.

Deran shook his head and laughed.  “Come on, these wave aren’t going to surf themselves,” he repeated himself as he got out of the car to grab their boards.  He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he followed Adrian down to the water.

Adrian had his back.  Adrian was something special.


End file.
